Times are Changing
by ravenwritingclaw
Summary: High school isn't the end, it's just the beginning. In this collection you will see where, and with who, the members of "New Directions" have ended up. **Please remember that these are my pairings and if you don't like them that's okay, just no hate! Characters are not mine PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW**
1. Chapter 1- Artie and Sugar

**Author's Note:** Because of the atrocity that Glee has become, I've decided to write about pairings in the series that I think should be together and fix what I see to be problems with what the writers have done.

In the show I've never really cared much for Artie Abrams or Sugar Motta, but I think together they are a cute/interesting pair. I'd like to think Sugar's self confidence and Artie's creativity compliment each other. I think they are technically still dating in the show, but that could just mean they haven't officially broken up. Either way, I like them and think in the future they could work well together.

ENJOY! Look out for Blaine Anderson in the next one-shot!

* * *

Artie Abrams blinked a few times but the words on the screen were still blurry. He rubbed his blue eyes and sighed. His contacts shifted and it took a minute before everything was clear. The final editing stages were always the worst, especially without any food in your stomach. Artie ran a hand through his spiked brown hair then glanced at the clock. How long had he been holed up in the editing room?

The junior college student groaned. Only five more hours until the documentary was due. 'Why did I choose starvation in Africa as a topic? If I went with show choir influence I could have been done hours ago.' He would have had film to use from his days in New Direction. Well, if his mom mailed them to him that is. He wondered if she was still made that he insisted on taking summer courses instead of coming home to Lima for the break. To be honest, he almost had gone. But when he asked his friends what they were doing, he started to see the appeal in staying in New York.

As expected, Rachel Berry was staying put. She already had a role lined up for a revival of "Phantom of the Opera" and practices were a full time job during the long summer months. At least Puck convinced her to only take one summer course through NYADA. Artie remembered overhearing their heated debate a few weeks ago before he asked what everyone's summer plans were. He purposefully put on his music loud so he wouldn't have to hear anything coming from their bedroom. Then again, he was lucky his apartment had spectacular sound-proof walls and ceiling.

Artie hunched over and typed feverishly. If he finished in an hour, he could still get a decent nap in before Film 302: The Study of Science Fiction. He still couldn't believe he got into that class. Artie shifted in his wheelchair and continued on.

Kurt Hummel had left, but only because Adam begged him to come back to England with him. They spent days discussing the pros and cons of making a trip like that when they had only been seriously dating for about a year. After the fiasco with Blaine's unexpected proposal during Blaine's senior year, things had been rocky. By the time Artie got out there, he wasn't exactly sure where they stood. He knew they weren't living together, for Kurt still resided with Santana and Rachel, but Artie heard the older boy's comings and goings enough to know he made frequent late night visits, not that Artie said anything to anyone about them. Still, he thought a trip together would do the boys good. To be frank, Artie was glad Kurt hadn't fallen back on his old ways and accepted Blaine's proposal. Another fresh-out-of-high school wedding was not needed.

He wasn't exactly sure how he didn't hear the door open, but when Artie looked up, he was face to face with a familiar figure.

"Sugar?"

The brown eyed beauty smiled at her one-time boyfriend. "The one and only."

Artie leaned back against his chair with a raised eyebrow. "What are you doing here? I thought you moved to Paris, like, a year ago?"

She ran a hand through her light brown locks, now curled he noticed, and nodded. "I did, but I decided to come back for the summer. Daddy misses me, or so he says." She clasped her bejeweled hands in front of her.

"Then why aren't you back in Lima?"

Sugar shrugged. "Well, everyone seems to be in New York these days, and I wanted to see some old friends. Puck told me you were here."

"So you endured a twenty minute cab ride just to see me hunched over my project?"

She nodded. "That sounds about right."

Artie stared at the girl, trying to figure out if the old Sugar, the one from high school, still lurked in there. She possessed a classier sense of fashion, but that was probably due to living in Paris a block away from all the best shops. He remembered getting a post card from her once. She attached a picture with it and told him to show it to all his movie making friends. That way, they would know the face and name of the actress they wanted to star in all their big numbers.

He could see from the way she was lingering she didn't plan to disappear any time soon. He turned away from the screen and folded his hands in his lap. "You still dancing?" he asked.

Sugar nodded. She walked over to his desk and sat on the edge. Her white skirt rose up a little, revealing her tanned thigh. Artie's gaze flickered to it but he forced himself to meet her gaze. "Mike has a studio in Paris. I teach ballet and contemporary during the week."

Artie smiled. "It sounds like you're doing what you always wanted to."

"Yeah, I guess I am," she replied with a smile. "How's movie school going?"

Artie shrugged. "It's going. I'm mostly working on documentaries right now."

"Maybe when you make it big, you can interview me at Mike's school. He has an amazing company of dancers. Brittany even comes to Paris sometimes, when she's not bust at MIT."

Artie smirked. Ah yes, another one of his old girlfriends. He wondered how she and Sam were doing. "Maybe," he replied. "First I have to graduate."

Sugar leaned back against the drawers on the desk, flashing Artie a peak at her shiny gold top. He remembered getting a good look at her closet once when he was at her house. She had a never ending supply of clothes back then, thanks to Daddy's wallet. He wondered what the mafia man thought of his daughter's career choice.

"Why are you here Sugar?"

The young woman blinked. "I already told you, I wanted to come home to visit and-"

"No, why are you _really_ here?"

Sugar sighed. "Promise not to tell the others?"

Artie nodded. She bit her lip. "Daddy wants me to take over his businesses. He said I spent enough time in Paris and now it was time to come home and get to work." She lowered her gaze. "He already sold my place in Paris. I didn't have much of a choice."

The young Abrams eyes widened. "He sold your apartment?"

Sugar nodded. "Yeah, and told me a private plane was waiting for me. I had to go. I can't afford a new place on my own, at least not one like my old apartment."

"So you're letting him win?"

Sugar stared at Artie. "Do you have a better idea?"

"I can think of at least twenty things better than letting your old man intimidate you. Where's the old Sugar, the one who wouldn't take no for an answer?"

Sugar glanced at her French manicure. "You mean the one who didn't believe Mr. Schue when he said I couldn't sing?"

Artie chuckled. "Yeah, that one. I always liked her best when she let her stubborn side show."

"You did?"

Artie nodded. "Yeah. She reminded me that if you really wanted something, you just had to go for it."

Sugar smiled. "She was really self-confident." The girl stared up at the ceiling with a sigh. She didn't say anything for a while. Just as Artie turned back to his work, thinking maybe she was just going to leave, he heard her voice.

"You still seeing that Betty chick?"

Artie thought back to Ms. Pillsbury-Schuester's niece. He hadn't seen her in years. "Uh, no. Not since the wedding."

Sugar smirked. "She didn't try to jump your bones again?"

Artie's face heated up. "Shut up Sug, it wasn't like that!"

"Then how was it? Because if I recall correctly, we were still dating at the time."

Artie rolled his eyes. "If we were, then why were you trying to seduce Joe Hart?"

It was Sugar's turn to light up. "I was not seducing him! He merely caught my attention."

Artie snorted. "Right. I think he caught a lot more than that."

Sugar hit him with her clutch purse. "Shut it, Abrams."

He smirked. "Cool your Motta."

The girl giggled. "I hate that joke."

"Then why are you laughing?"

"I don't know, maybe because if I'm not laughing I'll start to cry?"

Artie turned to face her again. "You're really torn up about this, aren't ya?"

Sugar sighed as she pulled out a hankie. "I didn't expect to be, but . . ." she trailed off. Artie reached over and took her hand in his. She stared at him. "I was finally on my own Artie. I was free. I had it all. And now . . . now I got a plane ticket home to a town I've never liked and a job I don't understand. What am I supposed to do?"

Artie didn't answer for a moment. He squeezed her hand and watched tears start to fall. "Don't go back. Stay in New York. There are hundreds of dance companies. You could find one easy."

"I don't have a place to stay though. I can't afford anything nice."

"You know the loft Rachel and the others live at? The whole building is basically up for grabs. Puck's got a loft on the top level, but he's looking to rent it out since he spends all his time at Rachel's place. You could get it for something real cheap."

Sugar sniffed. "You think?"

Artie nodded. "He's my bro, he'll do it as a favour to me. Don't worry about it."

Sugar thought about it and after a minute she nodded. "Okay. But Daddy has all my stuff. I don't have any clothes for tomorrow."

Artie waved his hand. "No problem. Rach and Santana have got everything you need. Mercedes should have some stuff too, now that I think about it. She shares a place with her boyfriend in the flat below mine."

Sugar smiled. "Okay." She slid off the desk and headed for the door. "Are you coming?"

He shook his head. "Can't. I got to finish editing and I have class in," he glanced at the clock, "four hours."

She nodded then went back to where he sat. "I'll see you at home then. Do you think the others would mind if I spent the day with them till I figure out where to look for a job?"

Artie shrugged. "I don't think they would. Ask Santana about work though. She knows of good places that hire."

Sugar agreed and pecked his cheek. "Thanks Artie, for everything. I really wished we kept in touch after high school. I missed you."

Artie took her hand in his and squeezed it. "I missed you too. Tonight is movie night at Rachel's place. Would you, uh, like to come with me?"

"Are you asking me for a date?"

The young man shrugged. "Maybe."

Sugar grinned. "Then I accept. I'll see you after class."

Artie watched her strut out of the editing room, that familiar Motta confidence coming back at him full blast. He couldn't keep the smile off his face as he finished work on his documentary.


	2. Chapter 2- Blaine & Sebastian

**Author's Note:** This is the second prompt in my series, just so you know. Now I don't really like Blaine's character (to me he seems boring) but Sebastian is so spunky and twisted, I can't help but like him. After the many failed attempts to have a sustainable relationship with Kurt, I think Blaine would try to move on. Low and behold, just as he's pounding the pavement looking for a job, he bumps into Sebastian. You can see where I'm going with this.

About the prompt: I found it here on dA and was inspired by how, when Blaine is around Sebastian, he probably feels naked, exposed. Sebastian is, essentially, a shadow and he follows Blaine no matter where he goes. Interesting, no?

Also, the lily means celebration, pansies loving thoughts, and red roses passion. Enjoy! Feel free to leave a review.

* * *

"Blaine Devon Anderson, what the hell are these?" Sebastian Smythe exclaimed as he entered their shared apartment.

Blaine glanced over his shoulder as he continued to stir the pot on the stove. His boyfriend held before him a bouquet of Casablanca lilies, pansies, and red roses.

"Well Seb, those are flowers. You see, when you plant a seed and water it-"

"I know what they are! I mean what are they doing in my hands? I thought we agreed none of this mushy crap for our anniversary," said the lawyer-in-training. Blaine watched his boyfriend of one solid year march from the entrance of their Upper East Side loft to the kitchen nook. His brown hair was still gelled back from work and his green eyes racked over Blaine's casual attire, namely his pyjamas. Once close enough, Blaine tilted himself up on his toes and pecked the young man's cheek.

"No, _you_ agreed to it. _I_ never gave an answer. Besides, you should know by now when it comes to anniversaries I never disappoint."

Sebastian rolled his eyes and purposefully ruffled the actor's gel-free curls. "Whatever Anderson. Just don't go sticking an engagement ring in the soufflé."

Blaine sighed. "Well there goes _that_ surprise."

"Please tell me you're joking," said Sebastian as he started to loosen his tie.

Blaine let the pot simmer and leaned against the granite counter, his arms folded across his chest. "What if I'm not?"

Sebastian tossed his tie on the counter and reached into the cupboard near Blaine's head for his favourite cup. "We've talked about this, Blaine. I don't do marriage."

"You also said you don't do commitment, but last time I checked, this," Blaine waved his tanned hand around their loft, "is commitment."

Sebastian put on the coffee machine, his back facing his lover. "If you wanted marriage you should have proposed again to Hummel. That guy is just as sappy as you."

"Maybe I should have," Blaine muttered. He saw Sebastian's lean back tense and bit his lip. He shouldn't have said that. The young actor walked over and wrapped his arms around Sebastian's waist, giving him a tight squeeze. "I didn't mean that, Seb. I'm sorry."

The intern exhaled deeply then turned in Blaine's grasp. He rested his chin on the crown of Blaine's head and securely wrapped his arms around Blaine. "Yeah, I know. M'sorry for starting a fight. I have shitty timing."

Blaine chuckled. "Yeah, you do. At least you're good in bed." He patted the boy's chest then went back to the pot.

Sebastian smirked. "I knew you only liked me for my prowess."

Blaine laughed. "Yeah, that's the only reason I've put up with you for this long."

"That and the Jacuzzi in the bathroom."

"Mmm yes, how could I forget? If I leave you, I'm taking it with me."

Sebastian chuckled. "Good to know." He pulled up a bar stool and watched Blaine work on their dinner. "So besides your horrendously sappy gift, I also got something at the office." Blaine heard him pull out what sounded like paper from his pocket. "My dad's invited us to the Hamptons for the summer."

Blaine almost dropped his stirring spoon. "He _what_?"

"Well, technically my mom did. She wants to meet you and uh, I think I might say yes."

Blaine turned away from the stove. "You sure you're ready?"

Sebastian shrugged. "My dad's never going to accept me for who I am, and I'm okay with that. But my mother only has one son. It seems silly to punish her for my dad's small mindedness."

Blaine smirked. "That sounds an awful lot like something I told you a few nights ago."

"Yeah well, maybe I listen to your post-sex mumbling on occasion, when I'm not passed out."

Blaine laughed. "Good to know. Alright, so when are we going?"

"When does practice start for _Phantom of the Opera_?"

Blaine went to their shared calendar and flipped through the pages. "I've got a few rehearsals next week then two weeks later. We could split our visit, work it around my schedule." That was the great thing about getting a small part in a play. You weren't needed for every practice, unlike Ms. Rachel Berry who had to attend every single one.

"You sure Berry won't be on you if you're not at all of them?"

Blaine chuckled. "No, she's busy with her own lines. Taking on the role of Christine Daaé has its disadvantages."

Sebastian nodded. "Good. So it's settled then, we'll leave next week." He took a sip of his coffee. "Where's Hummel spending his summer?"

Blaine didn't answer. He wasn't surprised how much it bothered Sebastian that Blaine still kept in contact with Kurt, but it was hard not to. They both attended NYADA, at least during Blaine's freshman year. After Kurt's junior year, he decided to work full time for Isabelle Wright and since then hadn't come to NYADA except to cheer on Rachel. Blaine thought back to when he proposed to Kurt, how they tried to work out the kinks in their relationship, and when it ended for the final time. He didn't get misty eyed anymore, but the thought still made his stomach churn. He wondered if he would ever fully be over his first great love.

He felt the heat from Sebastian's chest press against his back and a pair of arms snake around his waist. "You're doing it again," he muttered.

"Doing what?" Blaine asked innocently.

"That thing where you zone out and act like I'm not even in the room."

Blaine sighed. "I'm sorry. It's just hard, you know? I mean, we live in the same city, are friends with the same people, but sometimes it's like we never even knew each other." Blaine shook his head. "I am happy with you though. Sometimes I just forget that we weren't always together."

"Hey, we could have been, if you came home with me from Scandals."

Blaine chuckled. "Yeah, I suppose so. But back then it wasn't that easy."

Sebastian nodded. "If you could go back in time, would you?"

"Would I what?"

"Come home with me. If you knew that we would be here like this, would you have dumped Hummel and been with me?"

Blaine turned in his boyfriend's arms and kissed him hard on the lips. When they pulled apart, Blaine shook his head. "If I ended it with Kurt earlier than when I did, things would be different. I might have met someone else. What we have now, it's better than anything I could want."

Sebastian leaned his forehead against Blaine's. "Even better than something out of a fairy tale?"

Blaine chuckled. "This _is_ a fairy tale you idiot. Now go get ready for dinner."

Sebastian rolled his eyes but loosened his grip. "Yes Prince Charming."

"Thank you Mr. Dragon."

Hours later, when the food was consumed and the stereo was playing light jazz, there came a knock at the door. Sebastian untangled himself from Blaine's embrace on the couch and answered it. He came back holding a large box. Blaine sat up and squinted at the thing.

"What, exactly, is that?"

Sebastian placed it before the young man's feet. "It's your present."

"I thought we weren't doing mushy stuff?"

"This isn't mushy. Slobbery maybe, but not mushy. Now open it!"

Blaine slid off the couch and, like a small boy at Christmas, tossed the lid off. Immediately, a furry golden head poked its way out and licked Blaine's cheek. For a moment, the actor was stunned. Then he started to laugh.

"You got me a puppy?"

Sebastian shrugged as he sat on the couch. "Well you kept complaining about being lonely while I was at work. And I figured why not? Now when you're wandering for work you can at least take the thing for exercise."

Blaine reached over and kissed Sebastian. "You're the best. What's its name?"

"Cleo. I figure if we're going to have a slobbering beast wander through our pristine apartment, she might as well have a classy name."

"I love her." He got up and went to the bedroom. When he came out, he placed a box on Seb's lap. "I got something for you too."

"These better not be flowers."

Blaine chuckled. "Just open it."

Sebastian pulled the lid off and was greeted by a black and white tuxedo kitten. The tiny ball of fur sat there, staring up at Sebastian. He picked the docile creature up and smirked as it tried to swat his nose.

"A kitten? Really Anderson?"

Blaine shrugged. "I figured if you didn't like the flowers, a cat would make up for it."

Sebastian kissed his boyfriend's cheek. "Alright, you've successfully domesticated me. Do we have anything for these two to play with?"

Blaine watched the young man search for toys as he scratched behind the golden retriever's ears. Okay, so maybe the married life wasn't for them. But as far as Blaine was concerned, this was the next best thing.


	3. Chapter 3- Marley and Jake

**Author's Note: **This one based on the prompt "I feel it was worth being born just to hear the wind blow".

When it comes to Marley and Jake, I'm not exactly their biggest fan, mainly because I just don't like their characterization (I'm not a fan of Jake being so much like his brother [where's the originality?] and Marley is kinda dull in my opinion). But, I think once they are older, they could possibly work.

Enjoy! Please leave a review!

* * *

137 pounds 6 ounces. Two pounds more than last week and 1 pound away from reaching her ideal weight. Marley Rose took a deep breath as the wind curled around her. The stars were out. She tried to find Venus but the planet was hiding. She shifted her feet on the roof of her mother's house and imagined her high school self. What would Marley Rose, sophomore, say about Marley Rose, paramedic, now?

She remembered how tiny she was then. All jagged bone and slim flesh held together by big dreams and a boy who made her laugh. At the thought of Jake, she smiled. She hoped things had worked out for him.

Her pager went off. She glanced at the electronic devise and scanned the message. A second later, another message came in. False alarm. Marley sighed. Good, she didn't want to go back to work yet. Two late night shifts in a row were exhausting, but as soon as she came home to rest, her mind started working. At least her room made it possible to star gaze.

She wondered if it was silly to think the wind followed her around. When she was training to become a paramedic after high school, she sometimes got so frustrated she'd want to scream. Then, the wind would pick up and she'd feel that rush again and everything would be okay. Just like it was in high school, with Jake.

Marley heard her mother's snoring from the living room. She fell asleep watching television again. Marley thought of trying to get her to her bedroom, but even with all her training, her muscles weren't strong enough to lift the older woman. She'd have to remind her mother about that diet she said she'd start. Now that Marley was in the clear in terms of her bulimia nervosa, diets weren't banned in the house.

'Maybe I should get my own place,' she thought. 'I'm making good money now. I don't need to worry about being able to afford food.' Marley straightened the cuff on her uniform's blue sleeve. She would have to talk it over with her partner in the morning. He always had an ear ready to listen.

Footsteps were heard coming up the driveway. Marley looked from the sky to earth and was surprised to see Jake Puckerman walking up the pavement. She followed his casual gaunt, watching him grab the ladder from the side of their house and placing it near her. He climbed up like he used to and settled beside her, just like old times.

Marley didn't say anything. She looked back up at the sky and watched a star fall. She closed her eyes and made a wish.

"What did you wish for?" he asked, his voice deeper than it used to be. She could smell the stench of cigarettes coming off his leather jacket.

"If I tell you, it won't come true." How many times had he tried to wriggle her wish out of her when they were dating? She never gave in though. Not all the wishes came true, but the ones that mattered, like recovery, did. Marley looked at Jake, her blue eyes taking in her one-time love, and she sighed. "What are you doing here?"

Jake leaned back on his hands and his dark brown eyes stared at the stars. His hair was all gone. No more buzz cut, just a bald head, like his brother's. "I was in town and thought I'd drop in for a visit."

"At 2 in the morning?"

"I figured you would be up."

Marley smirked. "You always did have good timing. What are you doing back? I thought you were in New York?" Yes, last she heard at least. Whenever Puck came to visit his ma and sister, he made a point to stop in and see Marley, to give her updates on the NYC life. She knew it was because Jake asked for reports on Marley's health, but she didn't mind. Puck was a good guy. Rachel Berry, the up and coming star of Broadway, wouldn't put up with anything less.

Jake nodded. "I still am, but like I said, I came for a visit. Mom wanted to see me." He glanced at her. "And . . . I wanted to see you."

The young woman brought her legs up to her chest and rested her chin on her knees. "You could have called," she pointed out. She still had his number on her phone. She could have called too, but she didn't say that.

Jake sighed. "I know. I was meaning to, but-"

Marley shook her head. "You don't have to explain it to me Jake, I get it."

He nodded but said nothing. The wind picked up and twisted Marley's ponytail. She thought about getting it cut, but she didn't have the heart to try and make an appointment.

"You still writing songs?" he asked.

She thought of the drawer full of sheet music she compiled over the years. The latest one was from yesterday, after her shift. A woman died. Marley still couldn't find the right words to describe it.

"Yeah, sometimes. Work makes it hard."

Jake nodded. "Yeah."

Marley smirked. "You're in a band though, that's different. Your work is music."

Jake didn't say anything for a minute. "I got accepted into Julliard."

The young paramedic stared at Jake for a moment. "Really? That's great!" She smiled. "I knew you could do it."

He nodded. "Yeah, well Puck was getting on my case about the band. Like, he's serious about making it big, but he knows he's gotta have some training to fall back on in case it all falls apart. My bro's gonna be a music producer," he chuckled.

Marley smiled. "Sounds perfect for him. So what are you training for?"

"Well, Sugar's been hounding me to take ballet, and I'm kinda tempted. I mean, I already have a lot of training. Being a dancer and singer makes me a double threat in the entertainment business."

"I'm happy for you Jake. You're doing what you always wanted."

Jake nodded. "Yeah. Are you?"

Marley stared at her sneakers. "I like what I do. Helping people makes me happy."

"Singing made you happy. I never saw you shine brighter than when you were up on a stage."

Marley chuckled. "Yeah, well, times change I guess."

"Do you still sing?"

She nodded. "Mr. Schue asked me to come back before Nationals to help train some of the girls. It was nice, but besides that, not really."

"You should come to New York. You could make it out there."

Marley raised an eyebrow. "New York?"

Jake nodded. "Yeah. A lot of people from glee club are there. It's like one big family. It's great. Mercedes could help you get in a studio. Her CDs are selling like hot cakes out there." He turned his body towards hers. "I know it's what you want Marley. We talked about it a lot while we dated."

Marley rolled her eyes. "That was a year ago Jake. You made it clear that when you wanted to go on tour with the boys that I either came, or we were done. Well, we were done." She tilted her head to stare across the lawn to her neighbor's house. "We still are."

"That's not the point Marley. I care about you. I know what you want. I always have."

Marley shook her head. "It is the point Jake. You can't tell me what to do. I'm not your girlfriend."

"No, you're that Baldwin guy's girlfriend." He saw her eyes widen. "Puck told me last time he visited. He said he saw you kissing someone in the EMS bus. He's your partner, right?"

Marley didn't meet his gaze. "Yeah, he is," she whispered. "He's my partner."

"And your boyfriend."

"Oh for God's sake Jake, just shut up! It's not like you haven't dated anyone since we broke up. Unique has told me all about the groupies from when you were on tour. I'm not an idiot!"

"Nothing happened with them! I swear!"

Marley barked a short laugh. "Yeah, like I've never heard that one before. You could at least try to be original with your excuses. Puck also told me that you are Sugar are sharing the same loft."

"Okay, _that_ is uncalled for. Sugar and Artie got back together the same day she moved to New York. I would never do that to him."

They fell silent, Marley not knowing what to say anymore and Jake understanding that it was time to keep his mouth shut. Marley leaned back and stared up at the sky. "You know what the worst part is? High school really was the best years of my life, and they were because of you." She shut her eyes, shaking her head. "It's always been you."

Jake moved over closer to her and covered her hand with his. For a moment, it was like they were back in high school. They were in glee club, listening to Mr. Schue ramble on about a set list. They were at the "Lima Bean" sharing a hot cocoa as they talked about where they would drive to in his beat up truck that weekend. They were under the sheets, their hands intertwined as her pyjama top slipped upward a little and his voice was singing to her as she fell asleep in his bed. They were in love, and everything was perfect.

"It's always been you Marls, and that's not gonna change. Ever."

Marley nodded. "I know," she whispered. "What now though?"

Jake shifted on the roof and gave her hand a squeeze. "Now, we have one last night together before I'm gone for good. After tonight, I won't bother you anymore, I won't even get Puck to check up on you, I promise. If it's what you want. Is it?"

She thought about Baldwin and how upset he would be if he found out. She thought about Jake leaving in the morning, like he did after they graduated. She wasn't sure she could handle that again. Marley leaned closer as she nodded. "Just kiss me," she muttered. Jake cupped her cheek as he leaned in and kissed her.

For one night, she would turn back the clock. The wind blew around them and Jake pulled her closer. She gripped his leather jacket, twisting it in her hands.

Venus made its appearance in the night sky above them.


	4. Chapter 4- Santana and Quinn

**Author's Note: **I like both Santana and Quinn a lot. I was surprised for one episode they did have sex and disappointed it didn't go anywhere after that. I think that night stuck with them both and Santana has especially carried it with her since then. So, read on and enjoy! Feel free to leave a review.

* * *

Santana Lopez stared at her iPhone as the moonlight flooded into her makeshift bedroom from the window. The text message was branded into her mind and she couldn't shake it.

_Sam proposed and I said yes_.

The Latina dancer sneered. Trouty Mouth had done it again, the bastard. She could see her ex-lover now huddled up with Lipsy McChapStick in their bungalow. Santana felt bile rise up in her chest. She stared at the unanswered message and suddenly she stretched back her arm and tossed her phone against the wall. She heard it fall to the ground but didn't get up to grab it.

How could Brittany say yes to Froggy Lips? Of all people her best friend had to have eyes for . . . Santana shook her head. Her day couldn't get any worse.

"Santana, Noah and I are going out now. There's leftover vegetarian lasagna in the fridge and Kurt's lemon pie is still in there too, so please don't eat it and-" Rachel stopped speaking when she stuck her head past the curtain. "Are you okay, San?"

The young woman stared at her friend. "M'fine. Why?"

Rachel stepped into the room and pulled the blue curtain shut. She was wearing a short ruby dress with sleeves that cut off at the elbows and a pair of gold heels with spikes on the heel. Santana licked her lips. It still amazed her that Berry could look this good, compared to what she used to wear in high school at least.

"You're crying," Berry stated. She folded her arms in front of her and sat on the edge of Santana's bed. The dancer crossed her legs and wrapped her arms around her sweater-covered waist.

"Get outta my room Hobbit. Go have dinner with Puck."

Rachel ran a hand through her straightened dark brown hair. "Noah can wait a minute. He's with Jake working on a song anyway. Do you want to talk about it?"

Santana stared at the wall opposite from her. There was a poster of Brittany with a group of her other dancers as they performed on "So You Think You Can Dance". She looked so young back then. When did they last see each other? She wasn't with Sam then that was for sure. Britt wouldn't have invited her back to her dressing room if that was the case. At the thought of their time spent together, after they were out in the real world and things were okay again, Santana's eyes watered.

The mattress dipped as Rachel leaned over and placed a hand on the girl's arm. "San?"

"Britt is getting married," she blurted. "She told me through fucking text message. That—_bitch_," she shouted. "I can't believe she would do that. She couldn't even call!"

Rachel moved closer, sitting beside her on the bed. "Maybe she was afraid of what you would say."

Santana shook her head. "She still should have called. She owes me that much."

"San, just because you dated a while ago, it doesn't mean she owes you. I don't owe Finn anything if Noah and I get married."

"It's not the same Berry, okay? We were soul mates. She's—she was everything to me. I lost my relationship with my nana for her. I gave it all up and then she goes and gets engaged to Lisa Rinna. It's not fair!" The woman started to sob. Rachel wrapped her arm around the girl's shoulder and brought her closer to her. The girls sat on the bed together as Santana cried.

"Maybe this isn't just about Britt. Maybe—have you thought that this could be about—well-"

"Just spit it out Berry," she sniffed. "I haven't got all day."

Rachel sighed. "When was the last time you went on a date?"

Santana tried to think of her last serious date. Between catching shifts at the diner, dance classes, and looking for non-Broadway work, she didn't have much time to go on the hunt for her next serious relationship. Other than a few flings with girls she met at the clubs with Kurt, that was the only action she was getting. Even worse, since Kurt started dating Adam a year ago, she hadn't been going to the clubs as much, at least not the ones that were exclusively LGBT. She hadn't realized until then how draining it all had been.

San rubbed her eyes. "A while," she said.

"How long exactly?"

"Excluding Britt?"

Rachel nodded.

"Mr. Schue's fake wedding."

Rachel raised an eyebrow. "With Brittany?"

Santana shook her head. "No."

The Broadway beauty sat up and shifted to stare directly at her friend. "Do I know her?"

Santana sighed. "It's none of your business Berry."

"Au contraire, it is my business. If we're going to get you back on your feet, I need to know everything."

"Don't you have a date night to start?"

Rachel shrugged. "Noah can wait. He's still practicing." Santana listened hard and heard the music coming from Jake's loft. "Now, who is she?"

Santana thought back to that disastrous wedding four years ago. One good thing came from it though. She remembered Quinn all gussied up, looking like a woman who knew what she wanted. And at the time, it was Santana. Even after this long it was still hard to imagine it happened, not only once, but twice. Well, more like three, but who was counting? She wanted to go back to that night and talk to Quinn more, see if this really was just a one-night thing. She wondered if Quinn still remembered their shared night fondly.

"Q," Santana said quietly.

Berry blinked. Santana watched the girl's eyes widen as the nickname came to mind. "You and Quinn-"

"We hooked up Berry, get over it," Santana sighed.

"That's—wow I never would have—well actually I have thought you two are quite cute together, but I didn't think it would actually happen."

"Yeah, well, it only happened once, alright? Don't go making a big deal out of it."

Rachel rolled her eyes. "It kind of is a big deal. I can tell it meant a lot to you that she shared a personal part of herself with you. And you obviously wouldn't mind if it happened again, right?"

Santana shrugged. No, she wouldn't mind, but she wasn't going to let her snoopy friend know that. Next thing she knew Rach would have Quinn on a flight out to New York and there would be no stopping the dwarf from arranging their wedding. Then again, if Quinn did come out for a visit, it wouldn't be so bad.

"Forget it Berry, she's not gonna come out here. She's dating that Islamic guy in one of her law classes. I saw it months ago on Facebook."

Rachel smirked. "You obviously don't go online very often. That ended two months ago."

Santana squinted at the girl. "Seriously? Wasn't she head over heels for him."

Rachel shrugged. "Not really. She called last week to talk and when I asked her about it, she said he was just a fling. He wasn't ready to commit and neither was she. So, want me to call her?"

"No!" Santana shrieked. "Are you crazy Rach? She's not into girls. I know these things. I got a sixth sense."

Rachel rolled her eyes. "And how many times has this sense been wrong?"

"Not often enough to make me want to call her."

"Oh come on San, what's the harm in calling? It's summer right? You could just ask her to come for a visit. You can even make it sound like it's my idea."

Santana shook her head. "I don't know Berry. I have a bad feeling about this."

Rachel took her friends hands in hers. "Santana, you can't just sit in your room and mope. Brittany has moved on, and I know it sucks but you can't let the relationship hold you back anymore. It's time to jump in with both feet."

The Latina stared at her friend, her dark brown eyes scanning the Jewish girl's face for any signs she was lying. Finally, she nodded. "Gimmie your phone."

Rachel raised an eyebrow. "What happened to yours?"

"I threw it at the wall, now hand it over Gayberry before I tell your boyfriend you're trying to hook me up with his baby mama."

Rachel pulled out her phone from her clutch purse. "You don't give him enough credit. He already thinks you two are 'gay for each other'," she said with air quotes.

Santana smirked. "He's not far off."

"Rach, you ready?" Noah called from the front door.

"Coming Noah!" Rachel got off the bed and straightened her dress. "How do I look?"

"If you weren't straight I'd have you under the sheets in a heartbeat."

"Don't tell Quinn you said that!" Rachel giggled. "We want her to think you're serious."

"I am serious!"

"Yo, Diva, we're gonna be late for our reservations!"

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Coming!" She flashed a thumb's up at Santana before leaving. "Good luck."

Santana waiting until the sounds of her roommates died away. She could still hear Jake's guitar strumming from above her. From below, Mercedes' singing was a dull murmur. The young woman took a deep breath then searched the speed dial for Quinn's number. Once found, the phone started to ring.

After half a minute, someone picked up. "Hello?"

"Q?"

"S?"

Santana chuckled. "Long time no talk."

"Yeah, no kidding. Sorry about that. School's just been crazy. How've you been?"

She shrugged. "I've been better, but I hear from Rach so have you. Sorry about the break-up."

Quinn laughed. "Oh yeah, that. It's no big deal. He wasn't anyone to cry over. To be honest, most guys at Yale aren't much these days. I'm kinda in a slump."

"Me too. No one's really catching my eye."

"Looks like we're in the same boat."

Santana nodded. "Yeah. So uh—what are you up to this summer?"

"Not much. I was gonna take a few courses, but I decided not to. I've still got a few more years left till I'm done with my degree. I can wait till the last minute to cram those courses in."

Santana laughed. "Quinn Fabray, are you becoming a slacker?"

"No! I just know when to take a break, unlike some people."

"You mean Berry? Yeah, she's crazy busy. But uh, I was wondering. Since you're not busy, do you maybe want to come to New York for a bit? Rach misses you and uh—I do too."

Santana was sure she could hear Quinn smiling on the other end. "I'd like that. Is there room for me at your place?"

"Yeah, there's always the couch, or . . ."

"Or what?"

"Or you could sleep in my bed. With me."

"Are you asking me to sleep with you?"

Santana shrugged. "Well, more like making that one-night thing become a two-nighter. Or possibly longer, depending on how long you want to stay."

Quinn didn't answer for a minute. Santana smacked herself on the forehead. "Damn, sorry Quinn, I shouldn't have assumed—I mean I'm usually a lot smoother in the delivery . . . Shit," she sighed.

Her friend laughed. "S, calm down. I've already found a cheap seat on a flight leaving tomorrow."

Santana blushed. "That was fast."

"Well, I was kinda hoping someone would invite me someplace. I didn't exactly want to go back to Lima for the summer."

They talked for a while longer, Santana wasn't sure how long. Near the end, she decided it couldn't hurt to ask her something that had been bothering San for the past four years. "Hey Q, do you uh—do you remember that night of Mr. Schue's fake wedding reception?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Did you—do you still think about it?"

"Well yeah, of course, it was a lot of fun."

Santana nodded. "It was, but I mean, did it—did it make you think about your sexuality or anything?"

"San, are you asking me if I'm lesbian?"

"Kind of?"

Quinn chuckled. "You really aren't as smooth as you used to be. I've been doing a lot of thinking, especially after that last guy, and I don't know. I could be, or I could be bisexual. I'm still working things out. But I like you, I always have. We've been best friends since we could talk. Whatever my sexuality, I'm looking forward to spending the summer with you, okay?"

Santana smiled. "Okay. Well I'd better go. Berry's going to flip is a waste all her minutes."

"Why didn't you call on your phone?"

"It's a long story. I'll tell you when you get here."

"Okay. I'll meet you at the airport."

"Bye."

They hung up, leaving Santana to lean back against her makeshift headboard. She imagined Quinn running into her arms and spinning her around like those clichéd chick flicks always talked about. Santana scrunched up her face.

"God San, you're getting too mushy for your own good," she muttered. Her stomach gurgled. That vegetarian lasagna was starting to sound mighty good.


	5. Chapter 5- Ryder and Kitty

**Author's Note: **I wish Kitty and Ryder would have gotten together on the show. I think they could have really benefited/improved each other. That, and I like how honest Kitty was with Ryder when he admitted his sexual abuse as a kid. That was obviously a huge moment for him and that fact that she took the time to speak him with and show he's not alone shows Kitty has the ability to be a genuine friend. I want more of them in season 5.

* * *

Ryder Lynn scanned the backyard and grimaced. The green landscape was covered in beer bottles, streamers, pool toys, and bits of food. Thank God it wasn't his yard. His PhD daddy wouldn't be impressed if he came home from his weekend in the Alps to find this mess. Ryder tipped his head back and drank the last drops of beer. It wasn't his brand, but it did the trick. The party goers were starting to look more entertaining. Or maybe that was just because they were getting in their underwear and jumping in the pool.

It was strange to think he had been away from the place he called home for a year. Nothing had changed, as expected. Ryder's brown eyes flickered to the girls in their bras splashing each other. He considered joining in, but then thought otherwise. He earned his Illinois letterman jacket. He wasn't about to get it soaked.

The college freshman leaned back against the pillar of one of his old friend's patio and wondered if Marley decided to come. He knew she got an invite, since everyone from their graduating class did. He remembered her being added to the Facebook conversation a while back but hadn't spoken to her. Since quitting glee club after Regionals his junior year, his relationship with the pretty girl changed. They were never too close to begin with, mainly because Ryder promised Jake to keep a safe distance from her, but when he left and took his spot on the top of the high school pyramid, it felt different. Girls talked to him more, he was invited to all the parties, but it never felt right. He kept expected Unique or Sam to show up at one of the parties. Granted, Sam was invited, he just never went.

Thinking back on high school made Ryder's stomach churn. He was glad those years were behind him. Now he was on full scholarship and getting a business degree. What could be better, right?

"And here I thought they reserved this party for cool people only."

Ryder turned his head to see Kitty Wilde standing beside him with a red plastic cup in hand. She had on that smirk and snarky eyebrow raise that made his stomach twist like it used to in glee club. She wasn't wearing much, at least not in his books. She hadn't gone swimming, but her tight white dress had speckles of water on it and her blonde hair was damp as it fell down in waves. He forgot how pretty she was when she wasn't all dolled up.

"Then what are you doing here?" he shot back. Ryder inwardly grimaced. Not one of his better comebacks. Apparently much hadn't changed since high school in that regards.

Kitty chuckled. "Ryder, Ryder, Ryder, so innocent. It's the party of the summer, do you think I would miss it?"

"So I'm right, you weren't on the guest list."

The former cheerleader shrugged. "Not technically, but coming as someone's date isn't forbidden," she pointed out.

Ryder smirked. "Who'd be crazy enough to take you as their date?"

Kitty pointed with her hand that held her glass to one of the jocks from high school. "It turns out being a cheerleader still has its perks out of high school." The hazel eyed girl leaned back against the pillar beside him and took a sip of her fruity drink. "So tell me Ryder, where's Mike and Molly's daughter?"

Ryder squinted as he tried to remember who got that horrid nickname. "You mean Marley? I don't know, ask Jake."

"Jake's not here you idiot, or else I would. He's in New York with his loser brother in that horrendous complex in the Bronx. He's probably got flees by now."

Ryder smirked. "It sounds like you visited him once or twice."

Kitty shrugged. "Once, just to see how he was doing. I got out of there as fast as I could, let me tell you."

Ryder chuckled. "I'm not surprised. You always did like the better things in life."

"I still do," she winked. "Nothing less than the crème of the crop, Ryder."

They watched their fellow partiers consume more alcohol as the night went on, laughing as people were thrown into the water. Someone did a cannonball and sprayed the pair. Kitty squealed and tried to hide while Ryder's protective instincts kicked in and he shielded her with his jacket as best he could. When the water settled, Kitty stared up at Ryder. Her lashes were doused with water and the red lipstick she had been wearing was smudged a bit and his mind started to wander to when she _like_ liked him and he almost _like_ liked her too. He tried to remember why he hadn't gone to lunch with her when she asked that one and only time but got distracted by how she was pressed against him.

Before he could say anything, she took a step away from him. "Sorry about your jacket."

Ryder glanced at the fabric. It got most of the water, but it wasn't that bad. He shrugged it off and placed it over her shoulders. "You're gonna freeze," he explained when she tried to take it off. He watched her shoulders sag then her arms slip into the sleeves. It hung past her waist but he had to admit, it looked fantastic on her. He licked his lips. She looked away and took a sip of her drink.

"So where are you going to school now?" he asked as he leaned back against the pillar, his black t-shirt soaking up the droplets of water.

Kitty folded her arms and took another sip. "Harvard."

Ryder's eyes widened. "Seriously? Wow that's—good for you. What are you taking?"

"Biochemistry with a minor in Environmental Studies," she stated. Her gaze flickered towards him. "You?"

Ryder swallowed the lump in his throat. "Uh—just business. I've got a full scholarship at Illinois State."

Kitty smiled and he was almost positive it was a genuine one. "I'm proud of you Ryder, a college man at last."

He raised an eyebrow. "Didn't expect it from me?"

She shrugged. "My expectations have been proven wrong multiple times."

"Oh? Like when?"

Kitty shook her head and took another drink. "Just take my word for it, alright Son of Frankenteen?"

Ryder dipped his head down so she couldn't avoid his gaze. "Your high school insults won't work on me Wilde, start talking."

She blinked, looking around him for some form of escape. She glanced at her drink. "Oh would you look at that, no alcohol. I'll be right back!" She spun on her heel and made her way for the patio doors but Ryder was fast on her heels.

"You can't avoid me Kitty. We're not kids anymore," he said as he followed her into the crowded kitchen. They were shoved into each other and in the process his hand took hold of hers. She had no choice but to drag him along till they found something for her to drink.

"We weren't kids when we met Ryder, and you're right, we certainly aren't them now," she stated as she rummaged through the cabinet for a bottle of something.

Ryder found a bottle of beer and popped the cap for her. "Exactly. You're one of the only people I wanted to keep in touch with when we graduated. I'd like to actually talk to you about serious stuff."

Kitty rose from the floor and glared at him. "Then why _didn't_ you?"

"Didn't I what?"

"Why didn't you keep in touch? Why did you quit glee and avoid talking to me, to us? I thought we were friends?"

He could see from how glossy her eyes were getting that the questions she asked were not spur-of-the-moment. Ryder wondered how many nights she spent thinking about him, or how many times she wished he'd called. Was it about as many times as he did thinking about her?

Ryder opened his mouth but nothing came out. He sighed. "Kitty, it's-"

She shook her head. "Forget it Ryder. It doesn't matter." She freed her hand from his and started weaving her way through the crowd without the beer.

Ryder glared at her retreating form. "Kitty I swear to God-" he muttered some curse words under his breath as he tried to catch up with her. She made it to the staircase that led to the second level of the house when he finally caught up with her. She was up a few stairs when he grabbed her hand.

"Kitty Elizabeth Wilde you are not running away from me!"

She gaped at him, likely wondering how he knew her middle name, before she tried to free her hand. "Ryder Lynn let go of my hand right now or I swear to God I will call my daddy and he will be here faster than you can say Sweet Baby Jesus in the manger!"

Ryder grip tightened. "You want to know why I quit glee? Because I couldn't handle it. I couldn't handle having all these people who cared and worse, I couldn't stand losing trust in them. So I quit. And I stopped talking to you because every time I looked at you I saw everything I wanted in a girl but I knew I couldn't have you so I just cut you off. I told myself that it was better this way, and that if I wanted what was best for you I'd let you go. I'm a self-sacrificing moron, alright?"

Kitty stared at him, and after realizing what he said, he was glad the music was so loud. That declaration was best made behind closed doors. But the young woman heard him. For a moment, he thought she would come running into his arms but he could see from the hardness in her gaze that it would not come easy.

"Yeah, you are a moron. You're a huge idiot!" She wretched her hand from his and ran up the stairs. He followed, thankful for his football practices that made climbing the lengthy flight of stairs so easy. He managed to slip inside the bathroom right behind her and locked the door behind him.

"Oh my God, what are you doing? Get out!" she screamed

"Not until you start being honest with me. Ever since I met you there's been this fog around you. One minute you're sweet and the next you're a complete jerk and for once, I want you to stop pretending and just be you, like you were at Breadsticks when you told me what happened to you as a kid." Ryder stepped forward, forcing her back against the sink. She looked around the small room and, after realizing there was no way out, sighed.

"You want to know what other expectation I got wrong?"

Ryder nodded. It was a start.

She crossed her arms and stared at her high heeled feet. He was surprised to see her so—shy. "That you would date me. That you were some kind of golden boy who was going to drag me from the hole I buried myself in and that we would be this—this perfect couple who fought like hell but loved each other more than anybody in the whole world. I thought you would save me." She raised her gaze and he was startled by the anger that lay behind them. "But you turned out to be just like all the others—Jake, Puck, Danny, all of them—you were just another boy wrapped up in tin foil trying to be somebody you weren't and when you stopped talking to me, I realized that no one was going to save me but me. So now I'm going to Harvard and I'm going to be a successful person and you will have to part of that success because you chose some stupid internet girl who turned out to be a _transvestite _ of all people and-" Ryder cut off her rambling with a kiss.

He felt her tense up but he didn't pull away. His hands pressed against her hip bones, dragging her closer to him. After a few seconds her body slacked and he felt her lean closer. Her arms draped around his neck and her tongue snuck past his lips.

Ryder wasn't exactly sure how long they stayed locked in that bathroom. Thankfully there was another washroom on the main level and most people were too drunk to make it up the stairs. When the two finally pulled apart, his lips were puffed up and she ended up perched on the vanity. When he got a look of himself in the mirror, he laughed. Her lipstick had rubbed off on him. She placed her thumb over his bottom lip and attempted to get rid of the mess she made but instead he kissed the appendage.

"Massachusetts is kinda far from Illinois," she commented, running her fingers through his spiked brown hair.

Ryder shrugged. "Doesn't bother me. I'm not going back till the fall."

Kitty nodded. "What happens then?"

He leaned forward and kissed her slowly, his hands coming up to cup her cheeks. She was breathless when he ended the kiss. "We figure that out later. Right now, I wanna get out of here."

Kitty smirked. "Your place or mine?"

"My parents are gone till Monday."

She chuckled. "It feels like we're in high school all over again," she muttered as she slid off the sink. Ryder took her hand in his and gave it a tight squeeze.

"Yeah, but we're doing it right this time."

Kitty squeezed his hand back. "Right."

They weren't missed at the party for the rest of the night.


	6. Chapter 6- Sam and Brittany

**Author's Note:** I, for one, like this pairing a lot. I've always believed Brittany was bisexual and her friendship with Sam was adorable so I was glad when they started dating. I hope they get back together in season 5, or at least Sam finds happiness. He always seems to get the short end of the stick when it comes to relationship (ie. Quinn, Mercedes). Please let me know what you think!

* * *

Sam Evans had a broken childhood. His parents hadn't divorced, but when you moved around so much you forgot what town you were born in, or you called a teacher by the name of one who didn't even live in the same state, that's what he called broken. He spared that for his little brother and sister as best he could, but he knew at some point they figured out what was going on. He guessed it was living in that hotel that tipped them off.

Because of his shattered sense of security, he found it easy to spot brokenness in others. With Santana, he knew her harsh words were a cover for the deeper issue of her sexuality, not that he saw it as an issue. Quinn was an easy mark too. Although they dated and he knew of her child, he never had the chance to fully figure out what was going on. He thought of asking Finn once, but the guy had enough problems without being asked about his ex.

So Sam's life was mostly spent moving from place to place until he found his home in Lima, Ohio. Even then it didn't really feel like a place he could see himself staying forever, but that was okay. For now, his goal was to finish high school there. And he did. But he did it without the one person who he saw as the most amazing person in the universe: Brittany S. Pierce.

This wasn't by choice. Sam would have liked to toss his graduation cap up with her by his side. He wanted to spend his summer with her then decide what they would do come fall. He just wanted her. Simple, or so he thought. But MIT came calling and took her from him. He graduated, barely, and spent the summer in New York sleeping on Puck's couch while watching musicals with Kurt and Rachel. He felt like staying on that couch forever. Puck didn't seem to mind. He gave the dude his appropriate space. Santana didn't make the situation any better of course. She was smug about their break-up and he often heard her talking on the phone with Brittany. He didn't have the energy to care though. He wanted to sleep forever, until Kurt gave him a swift kick at least.

"_Samuel, what are you going to do for the rest of your life?"_

"_Sleep on this couch?"_

"_Not if I have anything to say about it. Here, I found some schools you would be interested in."_

Sam read the brochures but none of them made him want to get off the couch. Finally, he woke up one morning in late August and packed his bags. He left his key on the counter and hoped a plane for Massachusetts that same day.

It wasn't easy finding Brittany, but when he did, everything fell into place just like he hoped it would. Things were good, for a while. He rented an apartment and they lived together happily. But then he started to notice the cracks. He saw how tired she was when she came home and how easily irritable. They fought daily, if not hourly sometimes, and it got to the point where he ran out on her multiple times. He came back though, he always did. His dad gave him that tip. But Brittany didn't have the same lessons. She was used to people leaving. She created a world when she was little that kept her safe from the monsters, where unicorns protected her and everything was filled with colour. And it worked, sort of. Sam didn't see how upset she was with how her life had turned out until one day she threw his stuff on the lawn and told him to leave for good.

Normally, Sam would have listened. But he thought about his friends. If Puck left every time Rachel through a fit, they would never had made it this far. So, Sam picked up his stuff and moved into an apartment down the hall from her. He got two extra jobs and introduced himself to Brittany as her "neighbor". They started over. For two years they stayed just friends. They went to the movies and everyone who met them asked if they were dating but Sam always said no. He waited.

He waited through another Santana episode, for her to quit MIT and start dancing full time. He waited till she was finished "So You Think You Can Dance" and he waited until she started her own dance company that had studios across the country. He waited until she was no longer broken, then he got down on bended knee and asked her to go on a date with him. She said yes.

Sam imagined telling his kids about this someday. He hoped he had a daughter who would appreciate her dad's romance.

Suddenly, the young man felt something hit him in the back of the head. "Earth to Sam!" Puck said. The blonde blinked and grinned at his old friend.

"Sorry dude, what'd I miss?"

The bald boy snorted. "Only the best pass in basketball history! Where's your mind at bro?"

The green eyes barista shrugged. "Out to pasture I guess," he chuckled. He looked around the loft. "Where is everyone?"

"Satan and Q are out shopping with Rach and Britt looking for her dress. Sugar's at work, Jake is covering some guy's shift at the bar, Artie is at school and Mercedes is at work."

"Her dress huh?" His cheeks started to heat up at the thought of his fiancé trying on wedding dresses.

Puck smirked and shoved the guy's shoulder. "Dude you are totally whipped."

"Says the guy who's gone vegan because of his girlfriend," Sam retorted.

Puck rolled his eyes. "I'm not vegan Biebster, it's just that if I want good food I gotta buy it myself, and you know how tiring that can be after a long day at work."

Sam thought of his job at Britt's studio plus his shifts at the karaoke bar. Rachel had been trying to convince him to apply at NYADA but it just wasn't his style. He considered taking classes like Santana, but he didn't have the money or the time.

"Yeah, true enough. So, when are you gonna propose?"

Puck eyed the younger of the two. "Are you seriously asking me?"

"Well yeah, I wouldn't say it if I wasn't serious."

Puck tilted his head back against the worn out couch and sighed. "I dunno man, after all the shit my dad pulled-"

Sam placed his hand on his best bud's shoulder and squeezed it. "You are not your father Puck."

The elder Puckerman stared at his friend and slowly nodded. "I know. Just sometimes feels like it." He suddenly chuckled. "It's funny, because Rach and I were talking last night and she asked me how many kids I wanted, and the first answer that came to mind was three. It's like, the perfect number. And then she asks if I want boys or girls and I tell her one boy and two girls. That was someone can inherit the Puckerman 'hawk, Rach's singing, and our awesome looks."

"You do realize a girl could get your 'hawk, right?"

Puck pursed his lips. "True. I hadn't thought of that. Well I had, but I think Rach would flip if our little girl wanted a Mohawk."

Sam smiled. "Your little girl," he snickered.

Puck punched Sam in the shoulder. "Shut up dude."

They got back to watching the game and a few minutes later the girls filed in. Sam almost covered his ears at how loud they were. Rachel was rambling about the reception, saying it should be here at the loft, while Santana was urging Britt to buy the first one she tried on.

"Your boobs looked amazing," she said.

Quinn nodded. "I agree. Plus it was the best shade."

Rachel shushed them. "Ladies, we can't talk about it!"

Brittany squinted her blue eyes. "Why not?"

Rachel motioned to Sam on the couch. He pretended he hadn't heard a thing. The floorboards creaked and suddenly Sam's lap was occupied by his fiancé. He grinned up at her and wrapped an arm around her waist. "How was shopping?" he asked.

"Rachel says we're not supposed to talk about it." She pretended to zip her lips shut. Sam chuckled and kissed her sweetly. He didn't notice the others come over, but eventually Rachel had squeezed between the boys with her bare legs hanging off Puck's lap. Her jean shorts cut off around the thigh and Sam noticed his friend's hand running up and down the tan skin.

Sam looked to his right and saw Santana and Quinn curled up on the small chair. Santana's head occupied the space near Quinn's collar bone and they looked content in each other's arms.

"Who the hell put on the Brooklyn Nets game?" Santana asked.

Puck rolled his eyes. "It was pretty good till you got here Satan."

Quinn shot her ex a dirty look. "Let's put on something else."

"Like what?" asked Sam.

Rachel grinned. "What about-"

"No more _Funny Girl_!" the group shouted, including Puck.

Rachel pouted. "Fine, then what do _you_ suggest?"

Sam thought for a moment. "What about _Avatar?_"

The group was silent then everyone started to nod. Brittany kissed his cheek then went to fetch it from their bag.

"How long are you guys staying here anyway? Your cuteness level is going to make me throw up," Santana said.

Sam smirked. "Just a week. And if we're going to talk about cute, let's talk about you cuddling with my ex."

"And mine!" Puck pointed out.

Brittany came back and the movie was put in, quieting everyone down. Rachel drew the shades so the group was covered in darkness. Sam gabbed part of the blanket Puck and Rachel were using and covered Britt's legs with them. He secured a grip around her waist and started humming the opening credits loudly.

"Sam!" his friends exclaimed.


	7. Chapter 7- Kurt and Adam

**Author's Note:** Kurt and Adam are adorable. I'm sorry, but older British guy being sweet to Kurt and being all encouraging and awesome, yes please! I couldn't help but put them in a wedding ceremony either. Let me know what you think!

* * *

Kurt Hummel stood in front of the full length mirror and attempted to tie his tie. The violet fabric didn't want to stay put together long enough for the young man to get out the door and his annoyance was quickly growing. He heard a street musician playing outside the window and it almost reminded him of New York. He wondered what Rachel and Santana were up to. He'd had to Skype them later.

The fridge door closed and Adam Crawford tipped his head back, chugging what remained on the milk in their shared apartment. Kurt scrunched up his nose. "Please tell me you don't do that every time you want milk."

The blonde chuckled and shook his head. "Just when there's barely any left in the bottle." He came over, his black jacket hanging off the counter. "Having some trouble with that tie?"

Kurt sighed as he undid the fabric again. "Unfortunately. Usually I'm an expert. Whenever Blaine had trouble I-" He stopped himself and shook his head. "I don't know," he muttered and tried to tie it again.

Adam stepped around his boyfriend and took his hands in his. "You're nervous, love. Isn't it obvious?" The Brit chuckled and began to fix the younger's tie.

The fashion assistant lowered his gaze, watching Adam's tanned fingers easily maneuver the fabric. "How can I not be? This is the first time I'm meeting your mom and it's-"

"It's at her wedding, yes I know. I almost didn't want to come for it, but having you as my date was too good to be true." He tilted his head down and pecked his boyfriend's forehead. "Everything will be fine. All we have to do is smile, dance, and give a toast. Easy."

Kurt folded his arms and smiled. "Easy for you to say, you're not the one going in without knowing anyone."

Adam chuckled as he smoothed Kurt's tie. "Actually, I am. I haven't met any of Mum's new friends and I don't remember her old ones."

Kurt's brow furrowed. "When was the last time you visited her?"

Adam walked around the younger and went back to the kitchen nook where he searched for something to eat. "You do realize it's catered, right?" Kurt pointed out.

Adam shrugged. "I've never been one for catering."

"Does that mean I have to cancel our caterer?"

The Brit laughed. "I guess so."

Kurt smiled. It was easy to joke about weddings now, but a few years ago, that was no laughing matter. Thank God he never pulled a Rachel and accepted Blaine's proposal. That would have ended horribly. He watched Adam search through their limited food supply and wondered why they hadn't just stayed at his mother's place for the summer. It would have been cheaper.

"You never told me why your parents split up," he started.

Adam pulled his head out of the refrigerator with margarine in hand. He reached for the bread. "Things just didn't work out for them, that's all."

Kurt rolled his eyes and walked over to the counter. Adam stuffed four pieces of bread into the toaster. "You're nervous too," he commented. Adam raised an eyebrow, causing Kurt to point to the toaster. "You always eat when you are."

The older of the two chuckled. "Alright, you caught me. I'm not exactly thrilled about this wedding business."

"Why?"

Adam shrugged. "I don't have a lot of good memories of my mum. We haven't exactly seen eye to eye on a lot of things."

"You mean you being gay."

Adam smirked. "Yeah, that, and other things. She never wanted me to get into the arts. She wanted something more stable and-"

"Dull?"

His boyfriend laughed. "I'd say that's an appropriate characterization. Anyway, we're not close so getting an invite was a shock. And like I said, I wasn't going to accept until you saw it and started asking questions. She's—my mum isn't the most open minded, but she's a good person. That's what my dad always said. When I told him about the wedding he wanted me to go and kept reminding me that people change. I'm not sure if she has, but I'm hoping for the best, you know?"

Kurt nodded. The toaster pinged and Adam spread butter over it. "So that's why we're not staying at her place."

Adam smirked. "Correct. I wouldn't walk in there unless I was held at gun point."

Kurt chuckled. "You are so dramatic."

"Hey, you're talking to the founder of _The Adam's Apples_ here, if you wanted something more conventional, then you shouldn't have gone to NYADA in the first place."

Kurt chuckled. "True. Do you think it was a mistake that I left?" he asked as he bit his bottom lip.

Adam shook his head. "Not if it wasn't what you wanted." He looked up and stared into Kurt's hazel eyes. "You have a lot of talents Kurt. You could make it big on Broadway, or you could become the next big fashion design. It's whatever you want to do. You know I love whatever you push yourself to do, even if it is a little crazy at the time."

"If you didn't want crazy, you shouldn't have gone to NYADA."

Adam laughed. Kurt stole one of his pieces of toast. "I'm glad I tried it though. I wouldn't have met you if I didn't."

"True." Adam reached across the counter and covered one of Kurt's hands with his. "And I'm very glad you did."

"Even with all the Blaine drama?"

"Even with all the Blaine drama. He's a nice guy Kurt, you couldn't ask for a better ex."

"I know," Kurt sighed. "I still feel bad that it got to that point though. I mean, I never should have gotten back with him that second time, it was-"

Adam squeezed Kurt's hand. "Love, you gotta let it go. Things happen. People change. The world keeps spinning. At the end of the day, all you've got is you."

"And my handsome British boyfriend," Kurt added.

Adam chuckled and leaned over the counter. "And your _very_ handsome British boyfriend," he glanced at the clock, "who is going to be late for his mother's wedding if he doesn't eat this toast in a hurry."

Kurt looked at the clock and gasped. "I'll call a taxi."

Adam shook his head. "It's quicker to walk. I'll leave that for later. Suddenly I'm not that nervous." He took Kurt's hand and they exited to apartment together.

* * *

Kurt waited under the reception tent with Adam. The young man kept swaying from foot to foot and Kurt had to squeeze his hand hard to make him stop. "What's taking them so long? They left an hour before us."

Adam shrugged. "Don't know, maybe they slipped away for a quickie."

Kurt shuddered. "Please do not put those images in my head. You did _not_ get your handsomeness or your fashion sense from her." He was still reeling from that awful wedding gown see that afternoon at the ceremony.

Adam chuckled and pecked his cheek. "Sorry love, it's not exactly something I want to imagine either."

Suddenly the MC came on and announced the newlyweds' arrival. Everyone started clapping as soon as the two entered. Kurt and Adam stood up from their seats and once close enough Adam's mother gave the boy a hug. Kurt saw the shock register on Adam's face and beamed at his boyfriend. He realized the step-father wanted to shake his hand and Kurt returned the gesture. Adam's mother turned from her son to Kurt and embraced him as well. For someone who apparently wasn't very understanding, she certainly was in a hugging mood!

Not long after the hugs, the food was brought out, giving everyone a chance to talk before the MC started the events planned. Adam's mother Marge leaned forward and smiled at Kurt.

"I'm so glad Adam could bring a friend. You seem like a nice young man. What do you do for a living?"

Kurt swallowed the roasted duck. "I work at as a fashion consultant and assistant to the director of the website," he explained.

Marge grinned. "That sounds wonderful! You'll have to go through my closet when we get back from the honeymoon. I have some things that are a little out of date and I need help with."

Kurt glanced at Adam. "Uh, sure, why not!"

Adam sighed. "Kurt isn't an accessory Mum. He didn't come here to go through your closet."

Kurt placed his hand over Adam's knee. "I don't mind really. I mean, fashion is my life," he chuckled, hoping to dispel the tension.

A few minutes later the MC got up and told Adam it was time for him to give his speech. Kurt tried to remember if he wrote anything down, but being an actor he would probably just make it up on the spot. Adam went over to the podium and smiled at the crowd.

"It's not secret Mum and I haven't always gotten along. Sometimes it's been a real challenge, but that's in the past. I'm glad to be here celebrating the happiest day of her life. Graham, you're a good man, but don't think I won't hesitate to knock you off your feet if you break her heart." The group chuckled and the groom raised his glass. Adam looked down at the podium then back at the crowd. "I'm happy to be here celebrating, but I'm also happy to be here with the most important man in my life. He's the best thing that has happened to me, and most days I don't know what I'd do if he weren't there. He makes every day worth being alive." Adam glanced back at his boyfriend. "I look forward to one day invited my mum to my wedding day, whenever that is." He raised his glass. "To Marge and Graham!" The crowd did a toast and Adam sat back down. Kurt surprised him with a kiss. The Brit chuckled. "What was that for?"

Kurt smiled and held his hand under the table. "For being you. For the record, I can't wait either, but maybe we should hold off till we get our own place."

Adam chuckled. "True. I don't want to share my marriage bed with Rachel and Puck in the next room."

Kurt laughed. "Oh God I can see it now," he shuddered. "I do miss them though. When are we going home?"

Adam wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "A few more weeks love, then it's back to our native soil."

The couple leaned back against their seats and continued eating as the night went on.


	8. Chapter 8- Finn and OC

**Author's Note:** While I don't like Finn Hudson at all for various reasons, it's not because of the character itself. He could be a great "male lead" but the way he is written is horrendous which makes me loath him. In this story I wanted him to grow up and become a human being who accepts what he cannot change and moves on. Nicole is an original character of mine so please don't steal her. Leave a review!

* * *

Step one: wake up

Step two: drag sorry self from bed

Step three: check phone for messages from Rachel

Step four: have the rest of the beer in the fridge

Step five: go to class

Finn Hudson had his routine down pact throughout his first year at college. It was great for the first few months, especially when Mr. Schue hired him back to help with glee club. Classes were even interesting (who would have guessed?) but he should have known things wouldn't last. As soon as he caught himself a break, things went downhill.

He started to notice Puck spending less time on campus and more at the "Lima Bean". He'd see his friend hunched over the table sipping his coffee as he typed away at the script on his laptop. Finn tried to read it once when he was back in the dorm, but he couldn't figure out the password. He had never seen Puck so determined to finish something. It almost worried him.

At the same time, Rachel wasn't calling him anymore. He woke up expecting a text, but received an empty inbox instead. Finn supposed he shouldn't have been surprised. After all, Rachel was making it big in NYC. She didn't have time to return calls from ex-fiancés. That title still stung. He wondered if he should have married her and asked her to stay in Lima with him. As he thought on it longer, he decided that would have been the wrong move. She would have been miserable stuck in the small town. Like her birth mother, she was made for bigger things.

What was worse, Finn's grades hadn't picked up as he wanted them to. He was passing, but just barely. More than once he considered quitting, but then he thought of the kids in glee club. How would he be able to teach them without a degree? No, he had to finish, even if it killed him.

By the time his first year was done, Finn was exhausted. He was so tired that apparently he didn't notice the signs. Puck never answered the phone in their dorm anymore. He would be gone for hours sometimes. He thought Puck was dealing but when he searched the room he couldn't find a stash. He called Rachel and asked if she knew what was going on (she was always so smart, she had to have an idea) but she avoided the topic completely. Finally, after his last final, he figured it out.

Puck was in love with Rachel. As he walked back to the dorm, his anger boiled inside. How could his best friend do it again? How could Puck steal Finn's—he paused. Finn's what? Rachel wasn't his property. They hadn't been together in at least five months. To his knowledge, Rachel wasn't with anyone at the moment. What was stopping Puck from taking a chance on the Broadway bombshell?

He continued back to the dorm and thought back to their high school days. They dated for, what, a week? Could it be possible that over the years the two had grown to love each other? It was possible. Finn's stomach twisted in knots as he thought more on this. Did Rachel care for Puck while she was engaged to Finn? The college freshman leaned against a nearby tree for a moment. No, Rachel was a lot of things, but she wasn't a liar. She would have told him if she didn't love him, or if she loved Puck. But that didn't change what Finn knew now. He shook his head and headed up the walkway.

When he entered the small room, he saw Puck's bag was open and his clothes were staring up at Finn. The freshman looked at his friend who was unplugging his laptop. Puck turned around and he paused. The young men stared at each other.

"Did she ask you to come?" Finn hadn't realized he was speaking till he heard his voice. Was it shaking? Maybe. He couldn't remember.

Puck stared at the floor as he nodded. "Yeah she—she suggested once I finished my screen play I come to New York to show it around NYADA. She mentioned some professors who could help me with editing and stuff." Puck looked up at Finn. "Are you pissed?"

Finn thought for a moment. He slowly shook his head. "No, I'm not. Good luck out there."

Puck nodded. He stuffed his laptop in the bag then zipped the duffel bag shut. He tossed it over his shoulder then walked over to Finn. They embraced briefly.

"Thanks bro, for everything."

Finn nodded and watched his friend leave. The dorm felt bare without Puck's guitar leaning against the wall. He wondered if his friend would stop off at his ma's place before leaving town.

During the summer Finn spent all his time working. By the time he closed up Burt's shop for the day, he was beat. He'd pass out on the couch then wake up and repeat his schedule until he went back to school in the fall.

Step one: wake up

Step two: skip class to go for a run

Step three: skip class to meet Mom for lunch

Step four: go to last few classes

Step five: go to sleep

Second year started off on a bad foot, and everyone seemed to notice. His mother lectured him about his grades, Burt wouldn't let him work in the shop until he focused on school, and Mr. Schue threatened to cut him from his position as glee club assistant if he didn't get his priorities straight. But how could he get his priorities straight when all he could think about was Rachel and Puck living happily ever after in New York?

It was almost Christmas when Rachel Berry walked into his life for the final time. Finals were over, and Finn managed to fail only one class. He was closing up Burt's shop early that night when she knocked on the wall. He looked over to see her standing there, her long hair covered in snowflakes. Her legs were crossed at the ankles and he noticed how furry her boots were. She wore a red trench coat and he noticed she wore a new scarf, multi-coloured, that wrapped multiple times around her neck. She looked so different from the girl he used to know.

Finn ran a hand through his short brown hair and swallowed the lump in his throat. "W-What are you doing here?" he stammered.

Rachel came fully inside the deserted shop and crossed her arms. "I came to see you."

"Why? Did something happen to Puck?"

She blushed. "No, Noah is doing well. New York looks good on him." Finn noticed the way her eyes sparkled as she talked about Puck. Finn's stomach dropped.

"Then why are you here?"

Rachel walked over to the car he had been working on earlier and leaned against the nearby pole. "Daddy called last week. He said while you were changing the oil in his car he noticed how sad you are. He asked if I knew anything, and I said I didn't. So I decided to come down for and see what's going on," she explained. She glanced at the floor when back at him. "So, what's going on?"

Finn opened his mouth then shut it. He wanted to tell her how he still loved her, that they would get it right this time, and that he would be the man she always wanted. But he couldn't say those things. She already had the man she wanted, and he was probably waiting up for her in their bedroom back in New York.

The young man sighed and stuck a wrench in his tool belt. "Nothing, Rach. Nothing's going on."

She narrowed her eyes. "Please don't lie to me Finn. I find it insulting."

"I'm not lying, I-"

She shook her head. "Is it because of Noah and I?"

Finn lowered his gaze. "No, it's not. I'm—happy for you. Both of you. I just-"

"You want to know why."

"Yes! Exactly! Why him? Why not-"

"You?"

Finn frowned. "Could you stop doing that? I'm trying to talk here."

Rachel held up her hands. "My apologies. Go ahead."

Finn didn't say anything for a minute. Then he let out a sigh. "Fine, you were right. Why not—me?"

The young woman took a long time to answer. "Finn, when we were in high school, you were everything I could ever want. You were—perfect to me. And there's always going to be a part of me that sees you in your glory days of glee club. But, that's not who you are anymore. That's not who _I_ am. I'm not the freak who was bullied every day for most of my high school career. I have friends now and my dreams are coming true. I know what I want. And Noah—he knows what he wants." She smiled suddenly. "He's always known. He's always been there. He told me the first day he came to the apartment that when he was in LA he wanted to call me every day, but he didn't know if you were there or what was going on. I told him I wished he had called. He's a man now Finn. And I'm a woman who loves him deeply. I know it is hard to accept, but it's what's going on."

Finn shook his head. "That's not a good enough explanation. You owe me something better than that!"

"I don't owe you anything Finn!" she shouted. They stared at each other then Rachel looked away. "I didn't come here to shout with you. I want to know if there is anything I can do to help you."

He turned his back on her as he shook his head. "Just leave, alright? I don't need anything from you or Puck." He heard her sigh.

"If that's what you want. Goodbye Finn. I wish you luck with your dreams of becoming a teacher." He heard her heels click clack as she exited the shop. He turned around when he couldn't hear the echo anymore. The last thing he saw was her hair floating behind her.

When she was gone, Finn screamed. He reeled around and tossed one of the containers that held tools. That night, he tore the place apart. That same night, he rebuilt it.

Winter semester came and went, but this time his grades were far better than the years before. By his fourth and final year, Finn's schedule was looking much better than in previous years.

Step one: wake up

Step two: go for a job before class

Step three: GO TO CLASS

Step four: study in library

Step five: do homework then get to bed early

His plan of action was working, to his surprise. He even decided to take a summer course. That was how he met Nicole. He was sitting in his usual place near the window when he heard a chair being pulled out. He looked up from his textbook and saw a girl with dyed orange hair sit across from him. His eyes widened and his gaze went to her lip piercing then the tattoo on her collarbone that read "winter is coming". He raised his glance and realized she was staring at him. He blushed.

"Hi," she said, her smile startling him.

"Hi," he replied. He noticed she was wearing a green army jacket and a bright pink top underneath. Finn blinked a couple of times to try and adjust his eyes to the brightness.

"What are you studying?"

"Uh, physics." He flashed the text book. "Gotta get it done before I graduate."

She smiled. "Freedom at last."

He chuckled. "Yeah, finally. Feels like I've been here forever."

She nodded. "What are you taking?"

"Education. I'm gonna teach at McKinley High School."

"Wow, big plans! Sounds fun."

He nodded. "Yeah, it's where I went. My old glee club teacher talked with the principal and he offered me a position." He paused. "What are you taking?"

She pulled a stack of newspapers out of her duffel bag. "Journalism, specifically print."

Finn squinted. "I didn't even know we had that."

She laughed. "You're not the only one. But I'll be done after fall semester, thank God."

Finn laughed along with her. She extended her hand to his. "Nicole."

He took her hand and shook it. "Finn."

"Pleasure to meet you Finn. Now, are you going to help me look for an interesting article in these papers or do I have to beg?"

He chuckled and grabbed a paper. "Only if you can explain this physics equation to me."

"Deal."


	9. Chapter 9- Mike and Tina

**Author's Note: **I thought I uploaded this before I left, but apparently I forgot! My apologies. Anyway, here's Mike and Tina. Please leave a review to let me know what you think!

* * *

Chicago, city of dreams. Mike Chang couldn't imagine leaving it, ever. For four years he cherished his time in the place that, frankly, never slept. At least he didn't. Four a.m. bike rides through the park with music blasting and all his friends laughing. Working on term papers all night then going for an espresso run with Johnny and Dimitri before class began. Practicing stunts off church steps as the nuns made their rounds. Kissing Sandra under the street lamp with _I love it_ pouring out of an apartment window. Mike couldn't have asked for anything better.

Four years came and went; by the end, Mike thought he had it all figured out. He had a job lined up with a major dance studio, Kimmy just moved in to his new apartment, and his dad was going to be at his first show. Then he got the call from Sam.

"Tina's in the hospital."

Tina Cohen-Chang. If he could describe a first love, she was it. If he was honest, she was _the_ love. Brittany may have been his first kiss, but to be cliché, he hadn't really been kissed until Tina came into his life.

He wanted to be her everything, but distance wasn't something she wanted to deal with. He respected that. He didn't have a choice but to. Even when he was going through his slew of Chicago girls, he still thought about Tina. They texted constantly and he remembered skyping, once. She was going out dancing with some of the girls from glee club before heading to her new job in LA. Her sequined dress was still imprinted in his memory.

Mike caught the first plane out of Chicago. By the time he arrived at the hospital in LA, most of the glee club was there. He ran over to his old friends who were waiting outside Tina's room.

"What happened?" he asked, but it came out muffled against Puck's shoulder.

"She had an accident," Rachel replied quietly. He glanced at the petite woman and saw how red her eyes were.

"She was arranging the set for the movie she's working on when . . ." Brittany trailed off.

"Someone bumped into one of the artificial trees. It fell on her," finished Mercedes.

Mike's knees started to give out. Sam led him to a chair where he buried his head in her hands. "How bad is it?" he asked, his voice rough.

"We don't know. The doctors are only speaking directly to the family," Artie explained.

"We've been here for two days and haven't heard a thing," Sugar said with a pout.

"Wait, you've all been here for two days?"

The group nodded. "I called her cell and her mom picked up. That's the only reason we found out," Quinn stated.

"We weren't sure if you knew so Sam suggested we send word," said Santana.

Mike ran his hands through her hair. "I told her to be careful," he whispered.

Rachel sat beside the boy and gave him a hug. "I'm sure she'll be okay, Michael. We'll hear something soon."

On cue, the patient room opened and the doctor exited. "Are any of you family?" she asked the group.

Rachel immediately stood up. "Yes, we are."

The doctor raised an eyebrow. "All of you?"

The diva raised her chin. "Yes."

She nodded. "Only four at a time in there. Her parents will be back around supper. You have till then."

Mike wanted to run inside but his legs wouldn't work. He sat in the chair and watched as the first four went inside. His leg kept bouncing up and down and his hands kept tapping against the chair. Brittany sat to his left and Sam to his right. After a minute, both grabbed his hands and held them tightly. Together, they waited. Small talk was not an option, although Mike did notice the engagement ring on Brittany's hand. He remembered the Facebook update and he briefly smiled.

A few minutes later, Rachel, Puck, Quinn, and Mercedes exited the room. "She's asleep," Quinn started.

"But she's fine," Rachel added. "She seems well rested."

Puck rolled his eyes. "Babe, she's been sleeping for two days straight."

"I'm trying to be positive!"

"Could you two quit it for one minute? Do you want to get kicked out of the hospital?" Quinn lectured.

Puck and Rachel pouted but said nothing. Artie, Sugar, Blaine, and Joe went in next. Sam started humming under his breath. Mike wasn't sure what it was, but the other members started making up their own harmonies to go along. Rachel's eyes had shut and Puck tapped his foot on the tile. Soon, the hall filled up with their music. Nurses paused in their work to watch the music unfold. Mike tried to join in but the noise caught in his throat. Sam rubbed his back as they carried on.

When it was finally time for Mike to enter, Sam helped him to his feet. Mike did manage to walk in on his own thankfully.

There Tina was, hooked up to a handful of machines. One breathed for her, another monitored her heart. Mike tried to decipher the rest, but it was too difficult. Instead, he stumbled to her bedside and couldn't stop staring at her.

"Tina," he whispered as he collapsed onto the chair nearest to her bed. From the corner of his eye he noticed Santana pick up her charts and flip through them.

"What are you doing?" asked Sam.

"My uncle is a doctor. I used to come with him on his rounds." Santana flipped another page. "It didn't hit her spine, but she's got a nice goose egg on her head. Concussion." She put the sheets back. "She should wake up soon."

"What if she doesn't?" Mike asked.

Santana said nothing. Brittany sat on the bed beside Tina with her ballerina skirt puffed out. "She will Mike, it's Tina. She's magic."

Mike swallowed the salt water in his throat and buried his head against the scratchy hospital sheets.

"Maybe we should leave them . . ." Sam's words trailed off. He heard the door shut and silence follow. The beeping of the machines took over.

"Tina," he started. "Tina I need you. I'm selfish and I'm stupid and I need you," he whispered. "I should have done better for you this past year. I wanted to be there but I was afraid because . . . you're the only person that ever wriggled their way into my heart and when we broke up, my heart shattered. I just—this can't be the end of us. That's not how it's supposed to be. Love stories don't end like this." He wiped his eyes. "At least none of the ones we watched together. Do you remember that? We complained about how there aren't many Asian romances done in English. You said," he chuckled, "you said we would have to be content with ours. God Tee—I was so happy." He looked over at her, still seeing the girl he used to date hiding underneath all the tubes. "I want us again." Mike took her hand in his and leaned back against the chair. He shut his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

Hours later, the door opened and Tina's parents walked in. Her mother's eyes watered. She opened her arms. "Michael," she whispered.

Mike went over and hugged the woman he considered to be a second mother. "How are you dear? Chicago looks good on you."

Mr. Cohen-Chang embraced the boy before he could answer. "It's good to see you again, Michael. We've missed you."

"I uh, I'm doing well, all things considered. I have a job lined up and well, yeah." He ran a hand through his hair. "How is-"

"Tina? Oh she's—we're hoping for a miracle," Mrs. Cohen-Chang replied, taking a deep breath. "The doctors say she should wake up any time now. We just have to be patient."

"We were planning on spending the night in prayer. Would you—like to stay with us?" her father asked.

Mike wasn't much for praying, but he didn't have the energy to drag himself from Tina's side. He nodded and the three went to Tina's bed. Her mother produced a rosary and Mr. Cohen-Chang produced a prayer book and bible.

The group spent the whole night in prayer, ignoring the nurses who came to check on her. It took thousands of prayers and about a full day in total, but Tina did wake up. The first person she saw was Mike. He would swear on that old bible she smiled at him.

It was another week before there was talk of sending Tina anywhere. Lima was an idea, but Tina was adamant about not going home.

"I refuse to get stuck there and become a Lima Loser," she stated, arms crossed over her gown as Mike tried to feed her peaches.

Mrs. Cohen-Chang sighed. "Honey, you can't stay in LA. You need to rest."

"How can I rest when I have a movie to make?"

As they argued, Mike thought of his apartment. It was big enough for three, especially one of Tina's size. His job would pay well. That started soon though. He'd have to be home in time for that.

"Why don't you come stay with me in Chicago? You can work on stationary stuff at my place while I'm at my job. That way you can rest and not feel boxed in creatively. There's a ton of stuff we can do once your strength is back."

Tina's brown eyes widened as a smile appeared on her face. "You mean it?"

Mike shrugged, trying to hide his blush. "Yeah I mean, I'd do anything for you Tina."

She leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Thanks Mike."

"Are you sure Michael?" her mother started. "It's an awful lot of responsibility, especially with physiotherapy and-"

"Mama! I'm not a little girl anymore."

"I live a block away from a hospital Mrs. Cohen-Chang. I'll make sure she gets to all her appointments," Mike promised.

The doctor was called in and as paperwork was being filled out Mike slipped out of the room and called Kimmy.

"Hey, so there's been a change of plans. We're going to have a house guest for a little while. Yeah, I know, short notice, but it's important. I'll explain later at the airport. I'll see you then, bye." He hung up then glanced down the hall. He felt like someone was watching him. Mike took a deep breath. This was certainly going to be an interesting couple of months.


	10. Chapter 10- Jake and Marley

**Author's Note: **Sorry it took so long to update! My summer's been crazy, but not as crazy as what's going on in this chapter. I hope you enjoy it and feel free to leave a review at the end!

* * *

Pellets of rain shot against the window pane of Jake Puckerman's loft. He had eaten with their melody over supper and continued to enjoy the music into the evening. In other words, he couldn't sleep.

How had it been one month since he last saw her? It didn't seem possibly to love someone so much yet keep himself apart from her at the same time. She was better without him. Hopefully. Maybe. Jake wasn't sure. He'd have to ask Puck about this sort of thing. He had experience pining after a single woman for an extended period of time.

The cement floor was cold against his bare feet. Jake strode from the common area to his bedroom. The door creaked open, revealing music sheets, CDs, too many movies and not enough pairs of underwear. He appraised the idea of shopping and shuddered. Not in this weather.

His acoustic guitar, similar to Puck's, lay atop his sheets like a waiting lover. Jake shook the image of Marley out of his head and grabbed the instrument in his trembling hand. He could use a drink.

Jake settled against the plaid, ratty couch. Sugar couldn't stand the piece of furniture. Whenever she was in the loft, which was limited enough as it was, her nose always scrunched up and she threatened to toss the thing at least once.

The young man thought of his brother's old truck and how he stole it once, to go on a joy ride with a nameless girl. He half-heartedly wished he could remember that girl's name. Perhaps she was married by now. She seemed like the type. If Noah kept the truck, Sugar could have used that.

He began strumming his guitar, watching the rain paint pictures against the glass. Noah had taken Rachel out that night. He heard their bickering the night before and smelt roses through the ventilation system later on. Must be date night, he had thought. Jake cringed. Would Marley like such things? Would roses solve their problems?

The Julliard boy remembered Kurt. He would have to pick the designer and his Brit up at the airport next week. Rachel had a late-night rehearsal and with cookies managed to get Jake to do it instead.

"_Knock on my window, knock on my door I-I wanna make you feel beautiful_," Jake sang quietly. He wondered how many songs he had written that sounded like this one. He wondered how many were about Marley.

There was a knock at the door. Jake glanced at the iron rectangle and waited. Perhaps it was only the thunder he heard. As far as he knew, there was no one in the complex that would be bothering him at this late hour.

"_She will be loved. Yes she will be loved,_" he half-sung, half-whispered.

This time he was sure it was a knock. Jake looked at his attire. The sweats would do, but he grabbed a violet button-up from earlier and slipped it on, leaving the buttons undone. He went to the door and unhinged the 3 locks.

"Marley," he whispered as soon as his hazel eyes took in her shivering, soaking frame. She looked similar to a month prior, minus the soaked sweater and jeans.

The young woman bit her lip. "Can I come in?"

He glanced outside the door, looking both ways then opened it wider.

"You came alone?" he asked.

She nodded as she began wringing out her wet, auburn hair. He leaned back against the locked door and watched her wander around bulky chairs, a tiny kitchen table, empty pizza boxes, and his large television set. Jake tried to ask what she was doing here at 3 a.m. but he couldn't seem to make his mouth work. The only thing that drew him out of his trance was her shivering.

"Let me get you a change of clothes. I'm sure Sugar's got something in one of her drawers," said Jake.

Marley raised an eyebrow. "She wouldn't mind?"

"She's rarely here," he explained. "Spends too much time at Artie's." Without waiting for an answer, he went to Sugar's tiny room, one she typically kept only as a closet. Jake dug out a pair of pyjamas. He wasn't sure why the flamboyant girl kept a pair of flannel pyjamas around, but they would do.

Marley smiled and Jake swallowed the lump in his throat. "Thanks Jake," she said.

He nodded. "Bathroom is down the hall. First on your right," he muttered.

Once she was gone, Jake exhaled. He ran a hand through his short spikes of hair and looked around the loft. Now what?

'What the hell is she doing here?'

He heard the door creak open. Her bare feet padded across the concrete and he watched her settle beside his guitar. The room settled in a kind of silence Jake only remembered hearing when his father ran out on him. His heart began to ache.

"What are you doing here Marlye?"

"I wanted to visit. Rachel extended an invitation over Facebook and-"

"I don't think she meant now during date night," Jake cut in as he stared at his crossed arms.

Marley blushed. "I didn't want to waste any time. I couldn't get much time off."

Jake watched her shoulders tense as she prattled off excuses. She tried all the other doors but no one was around. She hadn't meant to interrupt him. She was going to book a hotel but she couldn't find any rooms available nearby. She was going to look as soon as she could.

"Where's your suitcase?"

She blinked. "Pardon?"

Jake came around the couch and sat on the coffee table across from his high school sweetheart. "If this was planned, you would have at least brought a backpack with you."

The EMT didn't meet Jake's stare. She wrapped her arms around her waist and got to her feet.

"I should go. I'm sorry I bothered you."

He watched her walk to the door. As her hand landed on the handle, he cleared his throat.

"You realize you're in pyjamas and it's raining, right?"

Her cheeks lit up. He got off the table and turned on the coffee maker. "Pick a movie. Are you hungry?"

Marley shook her head as she scampered back to the couch. Jake grabbed two mugs, the only clean ones left, and waited.

By the time they settled on the couch with their beverages, the opening credits to _The Sound of Music_ were rolling. Jake mentally cringed. He forgot about returning that to Rachel after their last movie night a few days ago. He extended his arm over the back of the couch, almost touching Marley's shoulder.

A flash of lightning highlighted the walls beside them. Marley and Jake jumped in their seats. He settled back and this time his hand brushed against her shoulder. It didn't take long before he found himself in a similar position to when they were dating. His arm made itself comfortable around her waist while her head rested against the expanse of his chest. His heart started fluttering against but he managed to contain his grin.

About halfway through the film, Jake was almost positive Marley was asleep. He tightened his grip around her and wondered if he should let her sleep in his bed or Sugar's.

"Baldwin and I broke up," she muttered.

Jake drew his gaze away from the screen and stared at his ex. Well, that explained why she ended up on his doorstep.

"So you ran away?"

She shrugged. "It's not running away if people know where you are."

Jake withdrew his arm and moved a little further from her.

"Jake," she whispered as she tried to take his hand in hers. He covered it with his mug. "Jake, please don't."

"Don't what?"

"Do this. I didn't come here to get into an argument."

He sighed. "We aren't. You're upset because I know your games."

Her brow furrowed. "What games?"

Jake exhaled quietly. "Don't play stupid, Marley. We know each other too well."

"That's my point Jake, you know me. We loved each other, once. I knew I could come here and I would be safe," she explained.

Jake got off the couch, taking his mug with him. "What changed your mind?"

"What?"

He glared at her. "A month ago you kicked me out of your bed and told me you never wanted to see me again. Now you're here, acting like—like you-"

"Love you?"

"Yes! So what changed?"

Marley relaxed her grip around her waist. Jake waited as the music outside played on.

"I did. I—I went to work the next day and something wasn't right. I tried to figure it out but I didn't realize it until two days ago." She stared up at him. "I didn't know how unprepared I was to live without you until you were really gone for good."

Jake turned away from Marley. He stared out the kitchen window, watching the rain blur the sky lights. How many times had he imagined something like this happening? Now it was here and he didn't know what he was supposed to say.

A scene played out before him. Marley running into his arms. Jake carrying her to bed. Marriage. Children. Old age. Death.

Marley turned away. Jake locking the door behind her. Moving on. Life without her. Old age. Death.

It ended the same way every time. Life would keep going with or without Marley Rose in his life. Jake sighed. Would it be easier this time?

"Do you love me?" he asked.

Marley's eyes welled up with tears. "Yes."

Jake put down his mug and walked back to the couch. He kept half a cushion space between them. "If this doesn't work-"

"I know," she cut in. "I don't want to keep hurting you."

"I don't either."

She nodded. "Promise me something."

Jake hesitantly raised his eyes to meet hers. She flexed her fingers. "You don't get to run away when things get hard. Promise me that."

He nodded. "You need to promise you'll trust me."

"Even when you're being a flirt?"

"Marley, I'm not-" he stopped, sighed, and gave a shake of his head. "That's what I'm talking about." Jake got off the couch and went to his room. Marley followed.

"This counts as running away," she said quietly while leaning against his doorway. Jake propped his legs up on the bed frame and crossed his arms above his head.

"I could list the promises you've broken," he replied. He kept his eyes shut.

Jake heard Marley sigh. "I could too."

"Then why are we doing this?"

She shrugged. "Because it's hard to choose who we love."

"Did you love Baldwin?"

Marley laughed. It was brittle, like dry twigs. She could light this place on fire, if he let her.

"I did."

Jake smirked. "Then ask him to take you back."

"You don't love-"

"No, I do, that's the problem," he said.

Marley came further into the room. He heard her bump into his dresser. The mattress dipped underneath her small frame. "I may have loved Baldwin, but I still love you. It's complicated."

He snorted. "It's really not, Marley."

"How is this so easy for you?" she asked in exasperation, her voice strained. She sounded tired.

Jake opened both his eyes. "Because I already lived through this. Three hundred sixty-five days of it. You can survive mild discomfort." He shut his eyes again. "You've had a hard life. So have I. Us being together isn't going to make it any easier. I want to try again, if you're all in."

Marley didn't reply. She pulled back the wrinkled sheet and crawled in beside him. Thunder crackled, shaking the loft. Jake saw the lightning flicker against his lids. He had yet to breathe.

"Okay," she whispered.

Jake took a deep breath. "Okay." He rolled over, away from Marley and tucked his feet underneath the covers. In minutes, both were asleep.

_You have 5 messages_.

Jake groaned. His arm flexed around a familiar waist and he buried his nose against the warmth of a smooth neck. With one arm he reached out and smacked the answering machine.

_First message: Jake, I know it's your day off, but can you bring my purse to work? Artie and I stayed out later that I thought and I forgot my key. Make sure my concealer is in there!_

_Next message: Dude, don't forget about lunch today. Britt wants to work on coordinating the reception dance after. See you at Joey's._

The next two were from co-workers asking him to take their shifts. He had already decided to decline all offers of work when Santana's voice invaded the room.

_Why aren't you answering the door? Quinn thinks she left her sweater in that nasty place you call home and we need it. Get out of bed! And before I forget, have you seen Puckerman and Berry? Apparently date night is still going on. Text me!_

"You certainly are popular on a Wednesday," Marley muttered as her fingers intertwined with his.

Jake sighed. "Unfortunately."

"Besides lunch and helping Sugar, what are you doing today?"

Jake cracked open his eyes. "Whatever we want to. Think you'll come to lunch with me?"

Marley agreed. She sat up and little, causing Jake's arm to fall from her waist. "Would Sugar mind if I stole more clothes?"

Jake chuckled. "Doubt it." He watched her stumble from the room and turn towards Sugar's room. He smiled at her and felt something inside him tremble. This hopefully would not turn into a disaster.

It was soon discovered, after dragging himself from bed, dressing, and shaving, that there was no food in the fridge. Jake's stomach gurgled.

Marley exited the bathroom with her hair wrapped in a towel. She managed to find something of Sugar's that suited her taste, namely a pair of jeans and a bedazzled tank top. She stared at Jake. "What?"

He slammed the fridge shut. "No food. Apparently I forgot all about shopping this week."

She shrugged. "That's okay. Rachel could have something, right?"

He smirked. "If you don't mind a vegan breakfast, sure."

Marley chuckled. "It's better than nothing."

Together with hands joined they descended the flight of stairs. "So when are you heading back to Lima?"

Marley shrugged. "Whenever. I need to get some stuff, but after that I think I'll come back. It's easier to write songs when you have inspiration."

Jake's smile grew. He made no comment though and once they reached the door, he pulled out his key. It took a few minutes to find something remotely tasty, but room enough eggs were on the stove and Jake's belly was being filled with leftover vegan pizza. Despite the lack of flavour, it wasn't completely awful.

Marley had the radio on and she sang along to whatever top 40 single was playing. He watched her sway as she cooked the eggs. In that moment, he realized he hadn't told her he loved her yet. As he opened his mouth, the front door opened.

Jake heard Rachel's giggle first. Next came the couple. Puck's arms pressed his girlfriend's petite body against his while Rachel smothered her laughter against his chest. The remnants of a suit remained on Puck's body. Jake noticed Rachel donned an older dress of cream. The ruffled sleeves and knee-length hem were something Jake recalled her wearing to a performance a while back.

"—still can't believe we did that," Rachel giggled.

"I know babe, it's . . . wow," Puck laughed. Jake watched his brother rest his chin against the crown of Rachel's head. "I'm so happy," he whispered.

Jake cleared his throat. "Hey guys. How was date night?"

Rachel whipped her head around, her loose curls spilling over her back, and gasped. Puck's eyes widened and Jake thought the elder was going to faint.

"It was—wonderful," Rachel stammered. She folded her arms behind her back. Puck kept an arm around her waist.

"Yeah, great," he offered.

Marley and Jake exchanged a curious look. "Are you two okay?" Marley asked.

Rachel bit her rouge lip and stared up at her boyfriend. He looked back at her as Jake waited for one of them to say something.

"We got married," Puck blurted.

"It was amazing!" Rachel added as she flashed the gold band.

"We'll have another ceremony later," said Puck.

"But we didn't want to wait any longer."

"So we just did it," he concluded.

Rachel grinned. "What do you guys think? We haven't told anyone else yet."

The three watched as Jake's eyes rolled back in his head and he proceeded to collapse onto the carpeted floor.

Without missing a beat, Marley smiled at the newlyweds. "Congratulations. When will there be a reception?"


End file.
